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Hi friends! Today I am going to share 4 cards you can make for Easter and you probably have stamps you can use in your stash already!

I love looking for new ways to use my stamps. I wanted a small solid egg stamp but I didn’t have one so t I turned a balloon upside down. When you look at your stamps with fresh eyes it’s like going shopping for new supplies!

Check out today’s video to see how I made these!

Tutorial sponsored by Rubber Stamp Tapestry! Get FREE USA (All 50 States, Puerto Rico & Guam) shipping on orders of $20+ throughout the month of March with Coupon Code: FRUGALFREESHIPPING New to peg stamping? Become a Peg Stamp VIP here and you’ll get an instant coupon for 20% off Rubber Stamp Tapestry stamps plus the deepest weekly discounts available! Coupon only applies to new customers.

These cards were fun to make and what I loved most is that I got to bring in some older supplies that I have not used in a while (flock, glitter, UTEE, dies) and pair them with some new things. I also like to take everyday stamps and use them for holiday cards because if you get specific holiday stamps and dies they only get used once a year. All of the supplies except for the “happy Easter” stamp can be used year round! I hope you give these ideas a try and til next time happy crafting!

Above are affiliate links to Simon Says Stamp They have a great selection and ship internationally. *PS you can find the Spectrum Noir markers there as well but they are $12/pack vs $5 at Consumer Crafts. I also Linked to Consumer Crafts, they have the amazing $5 a pack marker sale this week and always free shipping over $75 USA only. *There are no duplication in any of the Spectrum Noir 6 or 24 sets so you can build your collection as your budget allows.

Hi friends! If you are new to stamping you probably don’t have every coloring tool out there. You might also limit your supplies due to storage space and budgetary concerns. Maybe you have everything you could ever want but you want a small kit of supplies that you can take on the go with you so you want your supplies to do double duty. Whatever the reason I am going to show you 3 different ways to use your ink pads to color your stamped images.

I will show you 3 methods of coloring in this video!

Sponsored by Art Neko *Save 10% off your next order of any size or get free shipping on orders over $50 (whichever discount is greater you get!) just by mentioning thefrugalcrafter!

This first example was colored by using small stiff bristles stencil brushes. You can get a similar look by using cotton swabs to apply the ink.

This example was done with a sponge applicator. You can get a similar look with sponge tipped eye-shadow applicators. The daubers I used in the video are called Embossing Brushes (even though they are not a brush) and are made by Darice and came in a pack of 16 for around $5

The final example is watercolor and this is a great option if you don’t have many ink pads because you can mix colors easily on a palette before bringing the brush to paper.

Hi friends! I love looking through stacks of vintage postcards at antique shops. People used to send cards all the time, especially on holidays such as Easter. Today I have a free template (printable PDF and SVG cutting files) for you to create four cute cards that won’t cost a lot to make or send!

We will also be using washi tape and baker’s twine, two of my favorite supplies, from our sponsor Papermart. Watch the video to see how it’s done:

Die cut the SVG template on a full sheet of white cardstock OR print the PDF template. If hand cutting I recommend using a craft knife to cut out the windows on the cards and then cutting the scalloped frame with scissors. You will have 4 scalloped papers with windows.

Emboss the papers with an embossing folder if desired. You can also stamp a sentiment on the paper if you want to keep it flat (unembossed.)

Center the window on a card base and trace the window with a light-colored pencil.

Apply washi tape over the traced image.

Apply foam tape to the back of the window.

Wrap the panel with baker’s twine and adhere to card base.

Stamp an Easter sentiment on a label die cut (not included) and adhere over twine with foam tape.

I recently found a blog that have a challenge every week called “Scrap pile Saturday” and was all over that. Whenever I can I dip in to my paper scraps to build a card (I have to cut into a full sheet of paper) and I have quite a stash of scraps. This weeks challenge was to use 3 pattern paper scraps to make a card:

Everything I used here was from the scrap bin! The House Mouse stamps were colored in at my Mom's house when I fist got my Copics on Paper Co. Paper, I was going to toss them but I just love the mice! I'm glad I kept them cuz these are pretty cute I think:)

This card also qualifies for the House Mouse Monday challenge which is Easter! I do love those cute little mice, My mom has a great collection so I often stamp out a bunch when I visit, I have many too which my kids stamp and color more than I do! I sent this card to my mom:

Stamps: House Mouse (of course) and the sentiments are from Studio G (those lovely dollar sets!) paper is MME and DCWV

My Sister prefers the House Mouse bunnies so this one I sent to her:

Even the card bases are from the scrap pile, they were half sheets of cardstock (DCWV premium glitter stack) that were left over from some die cut projects I did last week!

Easter’s on it’s way! OK, we have a month but these springtime holidays sneak up on me that’s why I was sure to release my new Cute Easter digital stamp set in time for folks to use it! This week I challenged my design team to make cards using buttons and bows. Here are a few cards I whipped up from the kit:

Here is a look at the cards up close, I have been practicing coloring with markers, can you tell?

This was fun and quick to color! I colored the basket light tan than added darker brown shadows. The eggs were colored with the lightest color first then outlined with the darker shade then blended with the firs color. On the bow I colored it dark pink then added purple shadows and blended with the pink and to make the bow look like satin I added highlights with the colorless blender.

I punched the edge of the card for a bit of flair, I used button die cuts from Ellison but regretted it after I glued them on 🙂 If you like the word art around the bonnet it will be available on Thursday as a freebie so be sure to check back!

Isn't the embossed mat on this card pretty, I cut it with my cricut using a template from Penny Duncan Creations then embossed it in my Big Shot.

Penny Duncan created the lovely mat I used on the above card, you can get it on her blog, you get many of the shapes layered in SVG format (she has formats for other cutter too) I cut the layered file with my Cricut and SCAL software (save 10% on scal til the 28th with coupon: 4190114) from thin chipboard then I laid one of the pieces over my digistamped image and traced around the OUTSIDE. I trimmed it then place the chipboard frame on my image and cranked it through my big shot like this:

The red thing is a sheet of rubber gasket you can get at the hardware store (plumbing isle) and I place the between to cutting pads (actually it is my homemade letterpress set up 🙂 I added 2 pieces of cardstock to shim it but try it without first.

I like how it has a look similar to a Nestability die. See how it looks up close without any ink enhancement:

I was crafting in my studio this morning listing to a CD my hubby made for me chock full of folky light rock goodness and the Carol King Song “you’ve got a Friend” came on and I realized how lucky I am to have so many awesome friends in the crafty on-line world! I have gotten so much support from you especially with the opening of my digi-stamp shop and I just want to say thanks. A few of you have shared some of the cards you made with the free digital stamp I posted the other day, take a look at these cards:

Melissa Bove created this lovely card with a pretty yet surprising color combination.

Michelle Hale made this lovely card.

This one is by Margie Visnick, how pretty!

The above card is by Tamara Bennett, love the colors!

Thanks gals for sharing these cards with me!

And my friend Cheri who is a very talented artist sent me a blog award. Be sure to stop by her blog and see her work and while you are there you can vote for her teenage daughter who is in a modeling contest.

I get to pick 5 bloggers who have an attitude of Gratitude and pass this award on too. These blogs inspire me with their willingness to share what they know and what they create with us.